Friends Always and Forever
by Didactic of the Gothic
Summary: Two little kids meet and their lives are changed forever. Set in modern Japan, they're destined to be friends and go closer as the days go by before tragety strikes. One-shot. R&R please!


**Friends Always and Forever**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Rumiko Takahashi's characters, blah blah blah...**

It was a sweltering mid-summer's day when KagomeHigurashi's life was changed forever. The grass was tall, brushing against her baby-smooth legs as she ran through the meadow of her backyard.

"Kagome!" she heard her father beckon from the front of the house. With a smile, her tiny legs moved faster, changing direction and heading around the side of the building. As she rounded the corner of her home, something big and grey loomed in front of the house next door. It looked like a giant box on wheels in Kagome's eyes.

"Daddy!" she called from her halted spot on the grass, her eyes not leaving the offending truck.

"What is that thing?" she asked as her father jogged to her in worry. He glanced up at the truck she was pointing at, and sighing in relief he put a hand on her shoulder.

"That's a moving truck honey. We're getting new neighbors." Looking down at her awe-stricken face, he chuckled slightly before leaving her alone to watch. "Your mother wants you to come in soon," he called over his shoulder to her. "I'll come get you in a bit for dinner." With that he disappeared through the front door, leaving his daughter alone to watch as muscle-men moved furniture from the truck to the house.

"You can't make me! You're not my parents!" Suddenly she heard a scream come from the open house next door. A loud slam sounded through the air and she watched as a little boy around her age emerged from the house and stormed into the yard. Plopping down on the grass, he put his face in his hands and sighed deeply.

Kagome bounced over to his spot on the grass and, smiling, plunked down next to him.

"I'm Kagome," she said. "What's your name?"

The boy next to her lifted his head slightly and glared from underneath his lashes.

"Why do you care?" he grunted, shoving his head back into his hands.

"I don't know, just do," she responded, not at all disturbed by his gruffness.

"I'm Inuyasha," he mumbled, lifting his head slowly to peek at her.

"Do you wanna play with me?" she offered, smiling gently at him.

"I'm not a little kid, unlike you. I'm too old to play." He snorted, turning his head away with his nose high in the air.

"Okay . . ." Kagome sighed, disappointed. She got up. "See ya around then!" She skipped back to her yard gleefully and grabbed a ball from her garage. Balancing it on her foot, she kicked it high into the air and head-butted it as it came back down.

Inuyasha watched her from his spot on the grass in amazement before jumping up and sprinting to her. "You're amazing! How are you doing that?" She caught the ball as it was coming back down and giggled at him.

"You're funny, Inuyasha. It's just a little soccer." She juggled the ball between her feet, smiling all the while as he watched her, flabbergasted.

"C-can you show me how to play?" he muttered, shuffling his feet and looking down in embarrassment.

"Sure!" said Kagome. "But first, you have to answer one question."

"Anything!" he readily agreed, nodding his head in excitement.

"Why did you say 'you're not my parents'?" His face quickly dropped into a scowl as his glare returned.

"'Cause they're not," he answered cryptically. "They're my foster parents."

"What's that mean?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side.

"My parents died. I live with my foster parents until someone adopts me or I'm eighteen." Tears gathered in her eyes at hearing the pain in his voice, and she quickly enveloped him in a hug.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"Th-thanks . . ." he stuttered and awkwardly slung an arm around her. "Can you teach me how to play now?" She nodded with a smile and grabbed his hand, leading him to the soccer net in her backyard. Thus started the friendship of Kagome and Inuyasha.

From that day onward, they met every morning to play together behind Kagome's house. There, they would share secrets and play games before heading off to Kagome's yard to play soccer for a while. They were best friends, and both thought they would never leave the others' side.

They played every day together for what felt like years, but in reality it was only a few short months before one day, Inuyasha didn't meet Kagome in their usual spot. Worry crept through her, and after hours of waiting she decided to go to his house and see where he was.

Ringing the doorbell, Kagome waited impatiently for someone to come to the door. Inuyasha appeared after a few moments, looking down sadly.

"Where were you? I've been waiting forever! Let's go!" She grabbed his hand and uselessly tried to tug him out the door.

"I have to tell you something, Kags. Come on." Leading her up the stairs, Inuyasha brought her to his room where he sat her down on his bed and sat cross-legged in front of her.

"I . . . I'm being adopted," he whispered from his seat on the floor.

"So? You're new parents will still let you see me – it'll just take longer for you to get here everyday, that's all." Grabbing his hand, she tried to pull him back out of his room.

"You don't understand, Kagome, they live in Connecticut. I can't come see you anymore." His voice broke on the last word, and he turned away from her as a tear fell down his cheek.

Falling back on his bed, Kagome made a choking sound before burying her head in her hands and sobbing.

"Kags . . ." he muttered as he wrapped his small arms around her fragile body. She cried while he held her for a good while before finally her sobs subsided to small hiccups, and she lifted her face in acceptance to look at him.

"Yasha, I'm glad you're finally going to have a family . . . I'll be okay as long as I know you're okay and happy. Just be sure to write to me, okay?"

Nodding, he looked away from her again and wiped his own cheek. With one long, deep sigh, Kagome got up and hugged Inuyasha for the last time.

The next day, Kagome's parents took her downtown to go shopping. She sulked along as they dragged her from shop to shop, her mood growing increasingly sour as the day went by.

"You stay here. Your father and I are going inside to buy something special. We'll be right back." Kagome's mother told her as they stood outside a clothes store.

Sighing, she waited faithfully outside and watched people shuffle past her without taking a second glance. Finally, something shiny caught her eye across the street. Inuyasha was there, holding a silver bracelet up to the light and admiring the sparkles it threw off.

"Yasha!" she screamed to him, waving frantically as a smile grew across her face.

"Kagome!" he cried back at her, grinning wildly, leaping over a curb into the street, waving the bracelet at her. Time seemed to slow as a blue blur flew across her vision, and Inuyasha disappeared from view. A sickening snap was heard as his body broke under the weight of the bus. Kagome ran into the street, kneeling beside the crumpled body of her best friend and screaming for help.

"Kags," he whispered as he drew his last breath and faded from the world. His clenched hand uncurled, revealing a shiny silver bracelet that read _**Kagome**_ in sparkling sapphire letters.

**-- This is just a little one-shot I wrote at school. It was inspired by my friend and I hope you guys like it 'cause I wrote it for him. R&R, I love reviews!**


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